Wi-Fi - How it works

In this activity students will learn about Wi-Fi systems (often called WLAN — wireless local area network) and produce a diagram to show how the ‘wireless’ part is, by necessity, short-range.

This is one of a set of resources developed to aid the class teaching of the secondary national curriculum, particularly KS3. It has been designed to support the delivery of key topics within design and technology (DT) and science.

Activity: Finding out how radio waves penetrate the atmosphere and how Wi-Fi uses these waves

Students will start the lesson by reading our Wi-Fi: How it works handout, which explains how WLAN works. Learners will then produce an annotated diagram of how a Wi-Fi network would operate in a school classroom.

Download our activity overview for a lesson plan on how wi-fi works.

The engineering context

Wi-Fi is an essential part of modern technology infrastructure. It provides the backbone for wireless connection in homes, schools, workplaces, hospitals, public spaces and more.

Suggested learning outcomes

Students will understand that the electromagnetic spectrum can be divided into segments and that those segments have different penetrating powers through materials. They will also learn that a ‘window’ for radio communications through the atmosphere exists in the microwave segment.

Finally, they’ll be taught that information systems use digitally encoded Radio Frequency (RF) transmissions over short distances. i.e. Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) and WLAN (wireless local area network).

Download our activity sheet and other teaching resources

The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your class’s and your schools’ needs.

You can download our classroom lesson plan below.

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